A student team that is developing a dinosaur-shaped diagnostic device to accurately measure children’s hand grip strength won first place and $15,000 at the Forge incubator’s annual Startup Survivor Pitch Competition.

The toy-like diagnostic tool, which lights up, will allow clinicians to assess an indicator of health that is currently hard to measure for small hands, so they can better support children in their rehabilitation, Deena Al-Sammak, co-founder of Power of Play Innovations, told the panel of judges.

Wednesday night’s Startup Survivor event was the culmination of a four-month accelerator program at the Forge entrepreneurial hub at McMaster.

The program supports the growth of 10 entrepreneurial teams, with five finalists chosen to pitch their ideas at the annual fall competition for where $30,000 is awarded by a panel of judges.

“At the Forge, we believe in the power of entrepreneurship to drive change, build community, and empower people to solve real-world problems,” said Leigh Wilson, acting director of the Forge.

“Startup Survivor is a true testament to that mission, bringing together visionaries who are ready to make their mark.”

Two other medtech startups also won awards — Medium AI took home $10,000 in second place, and Respyra Technologies came in third with a $5,000 award.

Meet the 2024 finalists

Power of Play Innovations

Pitched by Deena Al-Sammak, co-founder and biomedical engineering and health sciences student

Power of Play is transforming pediatric rehabilitation by creating a child-friendly tool that accurately measures grip and pinch strength in young patients.

Power of Play’s device offers objective measurements while integrating playful design elements, supporting therapists in tracking rehabilitation progress and improving care outcomes.

Medium AI

Pitched by Kino Song, co-founder and McMaster engineering alumnus 

Medium AI provides a highly secure and effective software that helps healthcare providers manage patient documentation in multiple languages.

With Medium AI, doctors can save up to eight hours each week by automating the note-taking process, and clinics can increase their revenue by up to $100,000 a year.

Respyra Technologies

Pitched by Hunter Csetri, co-founder and McMaster biomedical engineering and health sciences alumnus

Respyra Technologies has developed a device for safer, easier intubation — a medical procedure that involves placing a tube in a patient’s windpipe to help them breathe in an emergency or during surgery.

The device helps doctors perform intubations quickly and efficiently on the first attempt.

Winged Wheelchairs

Pitched by Bohdan Mozharivsky, co-founder and McMaster chemical engineering student 

Winged Wheelchairs has developed an accessibility device that allows manual wheelchair users with limited hand functionality to independently propel their wheelchairs without the need to grasp the push wheel.

It’s a mobility aid designed to eliminate the hand pain and discomfort typically associated with traditional manual wheelchair use.

Local Reach

Pitched by Evan Ferreira, co-founder and Queen’s University commerce student 

Local Reach offers restaurants and bars a unique opportunity to monetize their in-house TV commercial breaks. Their free, plug-and-play device  replaces traditional TV ads with promotional content from partnered advertisers, creating a new passive revenue stream for venue owners.

Startup Survivor’s five judges were Amanda Nguyen, a McMaster grad and founder of Boardball; Jude Sacramenthas, vice-president of ecosystems at Graphite Ventures and member of the McMaster Seed Fund investment committee; Tricia Mumby, co-founder of Mabels Labels and mentor for Ontario incubator programs; Bernie Li, a partner at Antler Canada who has mentored more than 30 ventures; and Jennifer Renda, president & CEO of Diverso Solutions Inc. and an active investor in health technology and life science companies.